Bangkok (dpa) – Thailand's parliament voted Saturday to pave the way for a rewrite of the military-backed 2007 constitution. After a two-day debate, both houses voted to permit a redrafting of the charter written after the September 2006 coup toppled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thailand has had 18 constitutions since 1932, when the absolute monarchy was replaced by a constitutional one. The Pheu Thai Party that came to power last year takes its orders from Thaksin, who has been living abroad to avoid a prison sentence for abuse of power. His sister Yingluck Shinawatra is the current prime minister. The 2007 charter was written to address some problems posed by his two-term premiership from 2001-06, when his populist measures allowed him to dominate politics and, according to critics, mould policy to benefit his family businesses and those of his cronies. But the constitution was seen as a step backwards for democracy because it allowed for a percentage of appointed senators, instead of a fully elected upper house, and strengthened the mandate of independent agencies. The opposition Democrat Party opposed Pheu Thai's bid to amend the constitution, claiming it is aimed at undoing verdicts of corruption against Thaksin to pave the way for his return to Thailand. The amendment process is expected to take at least 10 to 12 months. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/fO4ow Tags: Military, Parliament, Thailand Section: East Asia, Latest News
